This latest hubpage article is about Clay Aiken's CD, On My Way Here, which was released just a couple of months ago.

This has been the hardest article for me to write. I've always tried to write from a place of honesty and conviction. In writing about Clay's CD, writing from that place also means writing from the biased viewpoint of a fan -- there's just something about Clay Aiken's voice that resonates deeply with me on an emotional level. It's also hard to write about Clay's CD knowing that opinions on Clay and his music run the entire spectrum from love to hate, and I want to respect that, that not everyone has the same taste in music.

About the CD

The CD, On My Way Here, is Clay's fourth studio album since "graduating" from American Idol. According to Clay, the theme for the CD came into focus when he found the title track, "On My Way Here", penned by Ryan Tedder (of OneRepublic) which talks about how your experiences shapes who you are. The CD is produced by Kipper, who is perhaps most well-known for his work with Sting.

Overall thoughts

The first thing that struck me about this CD is that it is so retro in its lyrical messages, with a strong thread of sentimentality and idealism running through each of the tracks. If there is any trace of cynicism here, I haven't detected it. Instead, the ideals of hope, faith, love, and compassion are emphasised throughout most of his CD.

Another thing which struck me was how uncompromisingly distinctive the singing style is. The style and sound is so, for lack of a better description, "Clay Aiken", perhaps even uncomfortably so for someone whose ears are attuned to specific pop styles. Perhaps not exactly a good marketing point in a radio climate dominated by sound-alike singers. But in my view, a positive development for Clay the artist.

Track highlight: "Something About Us"

Clay has mentioned in interviews that he fell in love with this song while browsing through songwriters' pages on MySpace. The jazzy feel of this song combined with the deeply romantic lyrics makes this a new "standard" for me. (For more of my thoughts on this track, go to my blog here).

Incidentally, there is a montage of the Obamas on YouTube set to this song (video above). When I saw the montage, it struck me that the Obamas are like the new Kennedys. Watch it and see if you see the same thing I do.

Track highlight: "Sacrificial Love"

What I really love about this one is the lyrics.

To quote from my blog post: "I keep going back to the first line of the chorus in "Sacrificial Love" - Are you only / practicing until you find / the real thing - which touches me with its sense of yearning (for love and human connection) and vulnerability (when we reach out to others). I believe we've all felt at some time in our lives, whether we're dealing with lovers or friends." (Full blog post here)

Track highlight: "Lover All Alone"

This track first surfaced as a bonus track on Clay's third CD. Written by Clay to music by David Foster. This track has, in my opinion, the strongest lyrics on the CD. Haunting, and honest.

You can listen to this song in a montage created by Clay's Korean fans (see YouTube video on the right).